At Just the Right Time...

God always moves at just the right time. I never can explain the way He does it, but so many times, out of nowhere, God moves…and it’s always, without fail, at the exact time I need Him to. Not only does He send encouragement my way, He sends people who absolutely change my life…and I’m deeply thankful. A couple of years ago I was in a rut in my life, looking for more. I was love with Jesus, but I never felt free—always down and discouraged about things and couldn’t seem to really get a hold of my life. I felt as if I was just going from one thing to the next, spinning out of control. I felt very alone and honestly depressed much of the time. I knew that I was saved and had the Holy Spirit living in me and that I shouldn’t feel this way, but day in and day out I felt like a total failure…bad wife, bad mom, and a bad friend. In fact, it felt as if I didn’t really have any friends. I knew that Jesus died to set me free, but where was this freedom and confidence that’s promised so clearly in the Bible? Why was I walking around angry, confused, and overwhelmed? If you looked at my life from the outside in, everything looked great…I was a mom of 3 truly great kids, I had a great husband, and I spent time meeting with and ministering to college students. What in the world could possibly be so bad about this life?
Well, at just the right time, God sent me an amazing new friend. I was leading worship at a women’s retreat and she was there ministering through soaking prayer. I remember going for a walk one morning by myself, crying out to God to please help me. I was at the end of my rope and needed a touch from Him…not just a temporary one, but one that would sincerely change my life. I was pouring my heart out to Him about so many different issues, and no doubt, He heard my cry. Later that day I experienced, for the very first time, what’s called soaking prayer. I was laying in the dark with all the other ladies from the retreat in my own little space, listening to worship music. Pretty much as soon as the music started I was weeping. I desperately needed something to change in my life…that’s when He sent Holly my way. She began praying for me and tears were streaming down my face—and hers. It was a moment I’ll never forget. As she prayed, God called out every single thing that I’d mentioned to Him just a few hours before. She prayed for all the issues that I’d lifted up to Him…and I never even mentioned one of them to her. God used Holly that weekend to change my life. He changed my life because she was faithful to live life as a healer. She had exactly what I was searching for…and that was freedom. Freedom to minister, freedom to love, freedom to show mercy, and freedom just to be who God divinely made her to be. Because of that one moment, my life was changed forever…not to mention I have a wonderful forever friend in Holly thanks to Jesus and His great love for me.
After that weekend was over I began meeting with Holly and we worked through some of these issues together. It was just what I had been asking for. For years I asked God to send me a “mother in the Lord,” and that’s exactly what He did…at just the right time. Because of the Holy Spirit working through Holly, God has set me free from so many things, and I’m totally different than I was just a couple of short years ago. I’m so thankful that God, through his mercy, used a divine friendship to get rid of so many of the things in my life that were holding me captive from living a life of freedom in Christ. God made a way, where there seemed to be no way, and I live life so much differently now than I did just two short years ago. I’m so much freer to be me and to live life full of joy!
What’s amazing is that there have been countless other stories in my life just like this one, where God “showed up” at just the right time. Even now God has placed us with an amazing local church plant because of a connection with my son’s wonderful preschool teacher. I never would have dreamed that this would happen in a million years! Even though being there was not even remotely in my plan, God showed up again, at just the right time, and made a new, better way than I could ever have imagined.
So, if you’re wondering what in the world is going on in your life not sure of what to do, get on your knees and cry out to God. If you feel abandoned and confused, not knowing where to go, just be patient…God is absolutely moving on your behalf. You might not see the answer yet, but it is indeed coming…and it will be at just the right time. Never give up because God will show up when you least expect Him to, in a way or through someone you’d never have anticipated, gently reminding you that He is still on the throne and loves you so much more than you can fathom. Thank you God for your amazing plans for us!